Why don't men go swimming on the night of ‘Ivan Kupala’?

‘Ivan Kupala’ is an ancient folk holiday dedicated to the rebirth of nature and the height of summer. It’s celebrated on the night of July 6-7 (the feast day of John the Baptist). It’s during this time that people dance in circles around bonfires at night and go into the forest to search for the mythical fern flower.

The holiday ends with a swim at dawn. However, in some regions, it was believed that one should not enter bodies of water at night – especially men. But why?

In ancient times, Slavs believed that water spirits (‘rusalki’) lived in rivers and lakes – they were said to be young maidens who had drowned, due to unhappy love. And if a man saw a beautiful girl in the water, she might well turn out to be a ‘rusalka’ who would drag him underwater to his doom. So, men often "purified" themselves not with water, but with fire – by leaping over bonfires.

Interestingly, in other regions, there was an opposite belief: it was said that, on ‘Ivan Kupala’, "only a sorcerer does not go swimming". And if someone refused to go to the river or perform the rituals, they would, at the very least, be looked upon with suspicion.